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Final Portfolio: English 150 Section 800
Final Portfolio: English 150 Section 800
Greg Dittman
Table of Contents
Authors Note........................................................................................................3
Where I am From...................................................................................................4
All Writers Are Created Equal..........................................................................5
Am I Grown Up Yet?...........................................................................................13
Writing Excerpts.................................................................................................21
Writing Prompt......................................................................................................... 21
Writing Prompt 10....................................................................................................22
Discussion Board 2..................................................................................................24
Writing Prompt 15....................................................................................................26
Reflection Letter..................................................................................................27
2
Authors Note
In this portfolio, you will find a lengthier and revised Where I am From Poem.
By revising this poem, I hope to paint a better image of where I am from in the
readers mind. Also, you will find several extensive essays that endured critical
revisions, peer editing, and the addition of images to further my validity. Both essays
seek to inform and enlighten the reader into thinking beyond the status quo and peer
into their sense of unknown. Although my writing may be read with disagreement, I
hope to earn the moments in which the reader thinks to his or herself in
hopes to capture the underlying idea in the essay. After the essays, I use excerpts of
other writings given in the class. Of these writings in class, I use three writing prompt
excerpts and a discussion board excerpt. The portfolio concludes with a letter of
you and your influence on my writing. I hope to leave you with a positive outlook on
the quality and improvement of work that can be completed by an amateur writer in
the course of five weeks. I urge you to get comfortable, drink a hot cup of coffee, and
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Where I am From
To my loving family
To my happiness
4
All Writers Are Created Equal
The Declaration of Independence states, all men are created equal. Under
our uniform governing body this statement holds true-- or at least I hope to believe.
But no member of mankind was born identical to another. I rely on the practice of
individuality. Simply put--I believe humans are born unique. Each human being is
born with different strengths, weaknesses, passions, beliefs, and more. Somewhere
along the path of history, the mistaken belief that all humans are born with equal
investigation and analysis, I hope to unravel the misstated idea that all writers are
created equal and urge the reader to explore the uniqueness of individuality in the
Smith. Smith claims that a writer is a special kind of person as a myth. Stating
there is no evidence that writers are any more intelligent, sensitive, talented,
dedicated, disciplined, or persevering than people who do not write. (Smith, 28).
myth must be displayed. Smith claims that writers come from all different types of
backgrounds that there is no predisposition genetic influence toward writing, and that
children are born with equal talking and writing capability. To present a persuasive
dissertation, I will first argue the nature and nurture standpoint of enhancing writing,
then I will decipher students enjoyment of writing--as a subject--at a young age and a
matured age, and then I will analyze differentiation and its effect on writing.
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To begin, let us investigate the nature argument of individuality and developing
ones strengths. As a fraternal twin, I share much but not all of the genetic makeup
as my brother. Growing up, we did everything together. We ate the same meals,
wore the same clothes (literally), had the same bedtime, etc. However, throughout
the course of our childhood, it became very clear that we were both born with
different strengths. I excelled in math while he struggled. On the flip side, he thrived
in history classes while I struggled. Even though we grew up in the same learning
that we were born different. My twin brother and I realized that we had to work
educational testing results can be explained by genetic factors with the same genes
responsible for math, science and the humanities. The differences in our genetic
makeup helped diverge our strengths even though we grew up in a nearly identical
minimal skill in basketball. According to The Boston Globe, the chance of someone
someone going to the NBA if they are 7 feet or taller? The answer is a staggering 17
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have a better chance of making the NBA. Our minds work the same. Each person is
born with an innate ability to excel in different areas of education. Ive excelled at
math but struggled in science. Its not a matter of which subject I put more time into
but rather my minds ability to understand and comprehend the information. People,
like myself, are born genetically predisposition to excel in certain areas including
writing.
Now that weve depicted natures view on individuality and ones development
find strengths, it found talents. Clifton created a formula, stating Strength = Talent *
successful in writing. Compare me to the best student in this class. Is this student
an English or Literature major? Does this student write daily? Most likely. Now
he or she cannot or simply does not write. This leads me to emphasize the
invest time of your day to better your writing. Now consider this, why is someone a
better writer than you if he or she invests the same amount of time into writing as
the nurture standpoint. Assuming certain children are born better at writing than
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Thus, we must evaluate the view of writing at a young age and decipher it.
Children are now being taught to write as early as age 6. In a study by MediaMark
Research Inc, when asked, what is your favorite subject in school? only 4.2% of
boys and girls ages six through eleven said that Reading & Writing was their
how to write in an increasingly digital age, children are growing up with a disinterest
in writing. So what makes that 4.2% different? Certain children are born with the
ability to write better and enjoy it while doing so. Now picture someone growing up
who was known for loving and excelling at writing. Perhaps this was you. For me, it
was a girl named Chloe Kessler. By the time we were in 4th grade, she had already
written a 100-page story. Listening to the teacher read her work left many students,
including myself, in awe of her natural ability to write. Writing played an important
role in her life and it was clear she was born with an incredible ability. Although
Chloe consistently impressed the rest of the class to work harder and longer on
classmates and, as a result, hard to enjoy. It became clear that writing was not my
favorite subject or my peers. The majority of my peers and I were born with a
being said, our dislike in writing originated by our differences from our peers abilities--
instrumental part of my life. Each class I took involved some level of writing and,
thus, proficiency was key. However, unlike elementary and middle school, high
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school demanded stellar grades and required A+ papers. Therefore, I adapted my
unique as I had conformed to everyone around me. Together my peers and I created
writing that lacked originality, creativity, and effort, and we knew that. According to
exhibited consistent ways of figuring out what constituted appropriate texts in each
setting, in his terms, of figuring out what the teacher wanted. Like Dave and
myself, older students have learned to write to please rather than to enlighten.
displaying writing without individuality, coming from writers born with the same
capabilities.
So consider this miniscule possibility that all people were indeed born with
be the same style, context, and quality. In other words, writing would lack
differentiation and the statement writers are created equal would not be a myth. But
because people are born with different thresholds of writing, differentiation has
occurred and continues to occur. America has experienced different eras of writing--
each of which revolutionized writing at the time. From the beginning of American
continued to evolve with unique elements that each writer brings to the table. These
eras would not exist if all writers possessed the same writing ability. German
philosopher Immanual Knott writes, What is enlightenment? [...] Dare to know! Have
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explore beyond the status quo, Knott sets the precedence for writing to act as a
catalyst to spark new writing eras. Through this all, history has proved to us that
Frank Smith claims that all people have the ability to be a writer, there is only
one difference between a writer and a non-writer is a writer writes, adding detail to
his idea that all writers are created equal. However, I believe writers have to be born
with stronger traits than just a proficient writing ability. A career in writing is difficult
and unstable. According to Jeff Goins, author of The Art of Work, your good is not
good enough for the publishers, writing can make you very lonely, and you have to
pay your dues. To extend writing beyond a hobby and avidly pursue writing as a
career, you must possess many different strengths. You must be resilient and never
accept rejection even after your publisher rejects your latest work time and time
again. You must be humble and accept the fact that much of a writers career goes
unknown until a big breakthrough. You must be organized and focused. Each day
you must start where you last picked off and put in a solids day work. Above all else,
you must be patient. Patient because someday all your hard work will pay off.
Clearly, to be a writer you must possess more than just the ability to write well.
Writers are born with strengths far and wide between, adding to the exclusivity and
To recap, Frank Smith claims that a writer is not a special person and no
that good writers are not created equal but, instead, are created special. They were
born with a mind that could handle the immense struggles, challenges, and hardships
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that a writing career might encounter. Writing is not a burden to them but an
enjoyment. I am a strong believer that you like things because you are good at them,
not the other way around. Writers love to write because they realize they are good at
it. Through investment and development of their natural talent, writers transform
writing into strength. By doing so, writers have created an intangible asset held by
the special and unique few. Thus, we must conclude that all writers are most
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Works Cited
Kelly, Anne. More Children Enjoy Math than Reading & Writing---Including Girls
Devlin, Hannah. Genes influence academic ability across all subjects, latest
27 July 2015.
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Am I Grown Up Yet?
As a child, I spent each day imagining what life would be like once I grew up. I
had everything planned out: the nice car, the perfect education, and, of course, the
hot girlfriend. I couldnt wait to grow up. As Ive gotten older and older, I wonder to
definition of what it meant to grow up. After all, I have yet to receive a maturation
epiphany or some letter in the mail stating that Ive grown up. When I was a child,
growing up was based off multiple factors. First, it was based off my age. I had to be
in college to be a grown up. Second, I had to have life figured out and I mostly
believed that to do this you must be have a significant amount of material items (i.e.
house, car, etc.). Finally, I didnt have to ask questions anymore. After all, why would
I ask questions if I was already grown up and knew all the answers?
I experienced learning events, gained role models, and steadily shifted from a self-
emotional maturations of growing up, I now believe growing up can be defined- much
individual must consistently focus on the bigger picture rather than solely promoting
self-interests. These self-interests are appealing but its effects are not lasting.
Given the conciseness of my definition of growing up, I conclude that not all
adults have grown up. Growing up often occurs but not always. Growing up can
happen at any point of someones life even in the later years of ones life. In other
words, I believe there is no defining age where someone can be labeled a grown up.
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To grow up, you must be given opportunities to prove you have done so. You must
consistently stand true to each opportunity given and develop your character
I believe that at an early age children are unable to grasp the bigger picture.
The bigger picture can mean a lot of different things to you and me, however. For
example, you might learn to shut your mouth when arguing with your mother because
you know that your relationship with her is much more important than winning a
temporary, futile argument. In this example, you displayed ability to battle your
experience for you and others down the road. By being able to control your emotions
and use humility, you have displayed growing up potential. However, I believe this
consistent and proving your newfound lifestyle day in and day out, you are able to
show that this is who you are and this is now a part of your identifiable character.
Only once you reach a level of consistency will you be considered a grown up.
on the phrase growing up. Meet Girija Srinivas. From the looks of
her body failing to develop and grow properly. (DailyMail.com). If youre curious to
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how I found this picture I simply googled teenage toddler. Google doesnt
recognize 19-year-old Girija as an adult but instead uses the adjective teenage and
the noun toddler to describe her. Society has ignored her attainment of adulthood
even though the law recognizes her as an adult. Girija has not let her physical
disadvantages get the best of her. She has begun a career in artwork and has set a
goal of living independently. She admits to being bullied Girija Srinivas (above)
suffers from a rare
disorder that doesnt
significantly but she states, I am not sad for being too small and allow her to physically
mature.
unable to walk or move like a normal person. Throughout the
course of her life, Girija has proven that she is able to mature and grow up despite
Now that weve concluded that my definition of growing up can include those
that are unable to physically grow up, lets analyze people who arent able or
informs us that an individual can be of a high age and still lack fundamental adult
qualities.
Hes a man because of his age; a child because of his acts. The man wants
your love, the child your pity. The man yearns to be close, the child is afraid to
be touched. If you look past his pride, youll see his vulnerability. If you defy his
forward-looking ideas but, instead, induces selfish desires. However, society would
claim that these individuals have indeed grown up but just dont act grown up. I
believe that these individuals never experienced proper guidance from a role model.
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Role models are older individuals that are able to connect with you through
empathy and understanding. By doing so, role models are able to create a
relationship fused by trust and respect. A role model can be a coach, family member,
friend, teacher, and the list goes on. Despite the endless number of possible role
models, each role model shares and displays a common goal. This goal is the
wellbeing and the betterment of the individual they have inspired. By having their
best intentions, role models understand the importance of furthering the childs ability
to grow up. The child is able to see firsthand an example of someone (the role
model) who already has grown up and is able to emulate what he or she sees and
now knows. This emulation is a critical piece in a childs development in order for he
encouraged to better him or herself, the child learns to attain a bigger picture lifestyle
Unfortunately, not all individuals are blessed to have a role model in their life.
Depending on the environment that a child is born into, role models can vary greatly.
I believe that parents possess a great ability towards becoming a role model early on
to their children. By teaching them and raising them, parents have an incredible
divorces are becoming more common than ever and many children lose a pivotal role
model in their life early on. According to The Princes Trust Youth Index, young
people without a positive figure of the same gender are 67% more likely to be
unemployed than their counterparts. They are also significantly more likely to stay
unemployed for longer than their peers. The report goes on to say that young men
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with no male role models are 50% more likely to abuse drugs and young females in
(DailyMail.com). This report details the importance of having a role model in a childs
life. Without a role model, the child is at an increased risk in abusing drugs and
losing jobs down the road. Given this spiraling down path, it is clear that attaining a
environment. If completed, the individual will be able to focus on the bigger picture
rather than focusing on just him or herself and barely getting by.
least the state of Nebraska) have either grown up or will grow up upon completion of
my education. Many people believe that the end of the road of education marks the
seems quite plausible. If I graduate from high school and attain my GED and work at
First off, college is not for everyone. If my dream is to be a fly fisherman then I
dont need college but that does not make me less of an adult than someone who
unattainable. If my family was unable to afford college, I would then have to find
work early on and possibly attend college down the road. Finally, college isnt
emphasized in homes lacking a role model. Only 54% of children whose parents
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didnt attend college are attending college while 82% of children whose parents
college students are at a greater risk towards not attaining their college degree.
Given all these flaws in the view completing higher education results in adulthood,
adulthood.
In the end, growing up is very difficult to grasp. We all say we have done so
but sometimes deep down we know we havent. To grow up doesnt mean you have
to lose your childhood. In fact, growing up allows you to embrace your childhood
self-but in a controlled manner. The term growing up can be subjective and molded
into a definition that you feel best describes your life. If you believe that going to
college propels you into adulthood, fine. If you think theres a magic age you must
many different definitions into one basic yet agreeable definition. Growing up is the
ability one shows in consistently focusing on the bigger picture rather than strictly
focusing on his or her self-betterment. In the end, growing up must be sought after
and achieved. Given my definition of what it means to grow up, growing up must be
Im a grown
up!
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Works Cited
Teenagers without parental role model are 67% less likely to get a job. Ellicott,
Print.
2015.
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20
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Writing Excerpts
Writing Prompt
experience firsthand the education, living environment, and social quo that Indian
using empathy considering he experienced the same things that Indian children
able to dictate his thoughts clearly at such a young age and then he is able to write
them down well now that he is a writer. Shermans reputation conveys an authority
as the final paragraph (of the article) says that he guest teachers for an Indian
Reservation School and the room is packed with children, most of whom are excited
to learn.
Shermans intentions are to inform the outside world of what occurs inside an
Indian Reservation. Ive been to Walt Hill, Nebraska and I have seen the poverty, the
that Sherman was able to for his childhood. Sherman does not blame the outside
world but he does shine a light on non-Indian views. He states, as Indian children,
we were expected to fail in the non-Indian world. Sherman defends his people and
hopes to provide a change in perspective for people like me on what its like to live on
a reservation.
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Writing Prompt 10
writing. We all have a style contributed to us. I tend to write very linearly and try to
use logical versus emotional connection with the reader. We all have a vocabulary-
some greater than others. Vocabularies between different people have overlaps and
your wording when you are writing. For example: if I wanted to describe the color of
my shoes I would write brown shoes rather than someone else who might call them
amber shoes. Recurrence activities are natural in writing but must be monitored
writing to speech. Repetition occurs, in large part, because student writing imitates
only notice repetition if they can hear it. (Sommer). I believe this is why Professor
Olivas encourages us to read out loud our essays before final submission. This
allows us to pick up on repetitions that we might have missed by simply gazing over
it. I believe my writing shows repetition in terms of the style I write and the
vocabulary that I use. I prefer to write using passivity. Interested by the boldness of
this proclamation, I felt inclined to investigate its validity. This excerpt from my essay
shows the passive style that I tend to write in. To present a persuasive dissertation, I
will first argue the nature and nurture standpoint of enhancing writing, then I will
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decipher students enjoyment of writing--as a subject--at a young age and a matured
age, and then I will analyze differentiation and its effect on writing. Both excerpts
from my essay show recurrence in the passive style of writing I use. Passive writing
can be effective when used properly in a persuasive essay and can be seen recurring
can be positive by allowing the reader to gain an understanding of who the author is
and began relate to him/her. The author is able to create a writing identity unique to
him or herself. This allows us to have favorite authors. However, it can be negative if
recurrence bores the reader. Too much repetition can dull the reader to sleep and
cause them to stop reading an authors books altogether. In the end, Sommer tells
us to write with less repetition and more individuality. He writes, Good writing
utilizing in their writing, as the experienced writers do, the very difference between
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Discussion Board 2
My favorite thing about writing is its journey. Each writer begins with a blank
sheet of paper. Perhaps intimidated by its emptiness, the writer is daunted to begin.
As the writer begins to formulate thoughts and ideas into readable lines on the
paper, a story is born. A story that is unique to the writer, alone, acting as a reflection
of the writers individualization. This story belongs to no one but the writer. In fact,
one could argue that without the writer the story would never exist. I truly believe that
writing allows people to create something that never would have been created had
they not been born. I sincerely believe that is special. Writing allows people to leave
their mark in the books of history, for people like myself to enjoy the readings of their
work, years after writer leaves this earth. Writing allows people to connect without an
interaction. Uniform and articulate words on a page, the story allows the reader to
use a lens not yet clouded by the appearance and social status of the writer.
My least favorite thing about writing is the objectivism that occurs. With
exception to standard grammar and English, there is no uniform grading criteria that
teachers can share to grade written work. Thus, grading writing is objective and
Therefore students, like me, are forced to adapt to each academic environment as
they create written work that truly doesnt represent their individuality. Many times in
my life, I have written a paper with one goal in mind: get an A. With this goal in my
head, I write to please the teacher not to unload the ideas and opinions that
it, learn it, and I succeed at it. In writing, I have a general idea how to get an A and
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so I write and hope. After turning in each paper of mine, I am left with doubt and fear
that the teacher wont find it appealing and will come down harsh on me, ruining my
Finding an identity when writing for a different person each time is difficult. I hope to
gain feedback in this class and help develop a sense of identity myself. I plan to stick
nothing like the writing I am doing right now. As a business major, I fully accept the
idea that all the perceptions of writing I once had might be thrown out the door in
accordance to the harsh standards of business writing. Business writing lacks detail
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Writing Prompt 15
claims that novice writers write their first draft and consider it almost complete. The
novice writer corrects topographical errors and changes a few things and then the
rough draft is now a final draft. However, the experienced writer writes the first draft
and considers it a start to the writing process. Once the experienced writer has a
rough draft, they can begin writing. I find this a very interesting perspective on
rough drafts because I, obviously a novice writer, place heavy emphasis on my rough
draft and try to make it as close to final as possible. After reading this article, I think
the rough draft should be written with goals and ideas in mind but still have plenty of
The article then goes on to claim that writers who write using sparing
techniques make a big mistake. By cutting out what they deem stupid or awful,
they leave out an important voice that the reader would like to hear. In the end,
Murray claims that a piece of writing is never finished no matter how many rough/final
drafts you make. Even after publishing, authors want to make changes to their
writing. I think by having an effective rough draft and final draft process, you can be
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Reflection Letter
Prior to taking English 150 Section 800, I had thought that I was already
finished with strictly writing classes. Writing to me wasnt fun and, subsequently, I
rarely would look forward to it. It was a chore not an enjoyment. I am majoring in
business and have taken a plethora of business core classes. Numbers, equations,
and statistics. Nothing more, nothing less. Like a robot taking class after class, I did
not enjoy my classes much like I did not enjoy writing prior to college. By taking this
class, I learned that not all classes are the same and college isnt as boring as it had
seemed to be. English 150, Astronomy, and even Pols 100 have been some of the
most fascinating classes I have taken. Although I am content with my major selection
and see myself as a businessman in the near future, I feel satisfaction and pleasure
In this class, I learned about the significance of plagiarism and the devastating
effect it can have on college students like myself. After reading Plagiarism: A Misplaced
Emphasis, I believe that you selected us to read this article because plagiarism is a
difficult concept to grasp. Many students believe that copying word for word is plagiarism
but there are other types including plagiarism of ideas and plagiarism of authorship. Last
year I learned the importance of recognizing plagiarism of ideas because I didnt cite an
idea in my paper but only in my works cited. While I didnt fail the class, I received an F
on the paper and experienced a rude awakening to the emphasis on plagiarism and its
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English 150 Section 800 also taught me the importance of writing a rough
draft. Prior to this class, my rough draft was nearly always my final draft with
exception to punctuation fixes and other minor updates. I learned that the rough draft
is just a start and that, because of this, it can be considered a shitty first draft.
Although that phrase could be considered a shot toward ones ego, I think it acts as
an important wake up call that essays should be fixed, changed, started over, and
even scrapped. Essays take time to write and this class proved that a essays can
even take several weeks of collaboration, advice, and helpful writing prompts to
formulate successful essays. By being put in discussion board groups, I was able to
gain insight from peers and use it in my final draft. My writing group helped me write
in a mindset that not only appealed towards the professor but towards readers my
age.
An article that helped me become a better reader in this class was The Need
for Care: Speaking onto the Page is Never Enough. I learned the importance of
preparation before reading. Before reading this article, I always jumped right into the
questions include, How much of this advice have you heard before? If you havent
heard this advice, would it have helped you to hear it before? By being aware to ask
myself these questions while reading, I was able to read Elbows scholarly article with
better and clearer understanding. Reading of some sort has been applied in every
class I have taken in college. Needless to say, this article and the information it
supplied me is pivotal in my educational path. From this class moving forward, I plan
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to apply Elbows advice and ask myself questions continuously throughout reading. I
am excited to reading with a new outlook and a new ability for retaining the
upcoming classes. First, the time management I learned by taking a class that
required at least several hours of writing and reading a day for five weeks was a skill
that is necessary for the burdens of going through college while being heavily
week, spent several hours a day for the past two weeks visiting my sister in the
hospital, and attended fraternity events when I had time, I increased my ability of time
management and never turned in an assignment past the due date. Second, the
writing. Although I foolishly tend to think my ideas are best, I know that the professor
and my classmates provide an incredible asset to my writing. Finally, I will use this
class as a crucial guide for the online classes that I will eventually take. I learned the
importance of checking blackboard daily, checking the professors e-mails daily, and
working ahead to prevent falling behind. All in all, English 150 Section 800 proved to
be a very beneficial and informative class for me. I recommend taking this class and
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